Despite continued efforts to combat the maternal mortality crisis, Black New Yorkers are still five times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white, non-Hispanic New Yorkers, according to new state data. The stark disparity was identified by the state and New York City maternal mortality and morbidity review committees, which together tallied a total of 121 pregnancy-related deaths across the state from 2018 to 2020. Another 63 pregnancy-associated deaths occurred during that time, but the board was unable to determine whether they were directly related to the pregnancy. Black, non-Hispanic women comprised 42 percent of the deaths, despite accounting for just 14 percent of all live births, according to the data. The vast majority of the pregnancy-related deaths — about 74 percent — had at least some chance of being prevented, the committees determined in a report released last week. Pregnancy-related death refers to any death that occurs during pregnancy or within one year of the end of pregnancy and is caused by a pregnancy complication, a chain of events initiated by pregnancy or pregnancy’s aggravation of an unrelated condition. Reviewers identified the deaths using vital statistics, medical records and other sources of information. Among the 121 pregnancy-related deaths, the leading causes of death were hemorrhage, embolism and mental health conditions. The mortality ratio for cesarean delivery was triple the ratio for vaginal delivery. Discrimination was also a probable or definite circumstance surrounding nearly half of the pregnancy-related deaths, the committees found. “It emphasizes that we do have a problem to address, that there are a lot of factors that go into each death and it’s not only at the hospital level — it is upstream from that too,” Marilyn Kacica, medical director of the division of family health at the state Health Department, said in an interview. The committees identified nearly 400 contributing factors among the pregnancy-related deaths, most commonly clinical skill and quality of care at the provider or facility level — for example, poor clinical decisions, delay in addressing symptoms and poor adherence to hospital policies and procedures. A lack of care coordination between providers or follow-ups with the patient was another common factor, as were chronic disease and structural racism. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories.
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